Known for his ability to orchestrate an up-tempo offense, New Jersey Nets’ All-Star point guard Jason Kidd is expediting his divorce proceedings thanks to the enactment of a new divorce law in the state that reduces the waiting time for a divorce to become final.

Governor Jon S. Corzine signed the New Jersey no-fault divorce bill, reducing the waiting period for a divorce from 18 to six months, into law this month.

Kidd quickly took advantage as if he was leading a 2-on-1 fast break.

Kidd filed new divorce papers citing irreconcilable differences with his wife of 10 years, Joumana Kidd, late last week.

Under old New Jersey divorce law, a spouse had to cite emotional or physical cruelty in order to end the marriage in a shorter amount of time. Kidd actually cited extreme cruelty in his initial divorce filings on January 9th when he alleged that Joumana physically and emotionally abused him for the last ten years.

Irreconcilable Differences

Kidd’s divorce lawyer, Madeline Marzano-Lesnevich, said that Kidd chose to cite irreconcilable differences to speed up the divorce process. Kidd received an order of protection from his wife the day before filing for dissolution.

Prior to its enactment, the New Jersey no-fault bill was a subject of debate.

Opponents argued that six months of separation was not enough to determine if a divorce was necessary. Proponents countered that a no-fault New Jersey divorce law would better allow people to get on with their lives and result in less damaging claims.

For the Kidd family, the enactment of the New Jersey no-fault law came a bit too late, as their dirty laundry was aired out to the public.

When filing for his order of protection, Jason Kidd reportedly claimed that his wife had used their 8-year-old son T.J. to get into the New Jersey Nets’ locker room on December 27th of last year and search through his cell phone.

Kidd also alleged that Joumana then left their son in the locker room and took a first-row seat where she cursed at him throughout the game taking place that night.

Kidd added in his original divorce filing that Joumana kicked and punched him and threw objects at him during the marriage, installed tracking devices in his cars and computers, and harassed his friends and family.

Less than a week after Jason received his order of protection, Joumana Kidd filed her own domestic-violence restraining order. Back in January of 2001, Jason Kidd was arrested following an incident in which Joumana said he hit her during an argument over their son.

Kidd, then a member of the Phoenix Suns, later pled guilty to spousal abuse. He was also fined $200 and ordered to take anger management counseling.

Shared Custody in Best Interest of All Involved

In his original January filing, Kidd did not ask for sole custody of the couple’s three children, but said that shared physical and legal custody would be in the best interests of all involved.

It is not known whether the couple had a prenuptial agreement. Kidd makes $18 million a season for the Nets.

While the Jason Kidd divorce reveals how the New Jersey no-fault divorce law is already being implemented, this situation teaches another important lesson when marriages come to an end. Accusations during a divorce may get quite nasty and revealing, especially involving figures in the public eye like Jason and Joumana Kidd.

While making accusations may be a way for spouses to get complaints off their chest and strengthen their cases during a divorce, such actions can be especially dangerous for the children involved.

To learn more about common divorce issues like child support, property division and much more, speak to a divorce lawyer in your area.